|
It was
appropriate that Call Sign’s elusive
snapper-in-chief and roving reporter, Alan Green (E52)
should celebrate his 65th birthday on October 31st – Halloween!
As well as being a Dial-a-Cab colleague and friend of Alan’s for more years than I care to remember, our wives and families have also become close friends and have shared many holidays, social events and celebrations together. So when Alan’s wife Marilyn - who he affectionately refers to as his ‘Chief’ - mentioned to my Chief, Maureen, that she would like to throw him a surprise 65th birthday party, they both donned their best witch’s hats and over a boiling hot caldron of oil, concocted their dastardly plan! That plan was to take advantage of Alan’s good nature of putting himself before others. Many drivers who know Alan may not be aware of the tireless support he gives to the trade charities and organisations, as well as the various committees he sits on - especially for the elderly. |
Halloween havoc for Call Sign’s snapper! |
|
 Coincidently, I together with my family was celebrating my Mother’s 90th birthday party on 31st October as well. The plan was to ask Alan to transport my Mother-in-Law - who is wheelchair bound - from her nursing home in Barnet to the party venue in Wanstead, wait, take a few snaps and then return the aforementioned lady back to her nursing home, sober and respectable! Such is the benevolence of the man, he didn’t even bat an eyelid and agreed to do the task willingly. What he may have said |
under his breath I dare not
have asked, but he must have thought why the $&*% I was not
using my own Dial-a-Cab taxi for this wait and return
trip! Whilst we were celebrating in Wanstead and keeping Alan occupied, Marilyn and her family - including one or two goblins - were transforming their semi suburban house into a Halloween themed cavern, complete with zombies, witches and skeletons hanging throughout the house. Everything went to plan as Alan entered his house in darkness; the snapper was well and truly "snapped" when all was revealed with family and friends eagerly waiting in all forms of Halloween costumes. For the first time that I can ever recall, Alan was left speechless! But a great time was had by all, so well done Marilyn and congratulations to the now renamed Alan "Dracula" Green! |
|
|
Barrie: Watch out for CCTV in Pimlico Road! |
||
 Call Signn recently received a phone call from Dial-a-Cab’s parking expert Barrie Segal. He told us of a new manually controlled CCTV camera being operated by Westminster Council in Pimlico Road. This is a regular stopping place for taxi drivers with restaurants, a Starbucks coffee house and a |
toilet. Those who have
received PCNs around the Queensway area – especially after a
three minute stop at the public convenience lay-by at the top
end – will have seen how the operators are trained to record
every detail of the "offence" by closing in on the registration
plate and street name. The same system now operates in Pimlico
Road with several DaC drivers having already received PCNs. Barrie told Call Sign: "Around 18 months ago, Government guidelines via the Traffic Management Act of 2004 specified that CCTV cameras had |
to be of a minimum
resolution and that 100 of the Westminster cameras failed to
meet those specs. As a result, the 100 were turned off and had
to be replaced.
They are obviously trying to recuperate some of that lost cash
and taxi drivers are suffering because the nature of their job
means that they occasionally have to stop for a break." Barrie Segal deals with DaC’s arbitration appeals and has won virtually all of those he has been involved with. He is also the founder of www.appealnow.com - the only website in the world where you can appeal your parking ticket online in 4½ minutes. |
 |
Powered by NetXPosure |
| Copyright 1997-2010 Dial-A-Cab Ltd, All rights reserved. |